Another Wednesday… and so it goes.

Perspective really is everything when you come right down to it.  Right now, during this sheltering time, my perspective has mostly to do with what day of the week and what week of which month it is.  Today being Wednesday, there are two all-important concerns on my agenda.  It is Observer day and it is garbage day — usually thought of in that order.

My interest in the Observer is often quite personal.  Take today, for instance.  It’s the day my column usually appears — the first Wednesday of the month.  Plus, I have a series going about early settlements here that are no more — “Once upon a time in Pacific County.”  There is no set time for the articles to go into the paper but, once I turned one in, I am ever hopeful.  I’ve been looking for several weeks for the most recently submitted — on Bruceport — and even took a look online this morning rather than waiting until I can get to the post office for our hard copy.  Sadly, not yet in print.

The other biggee on Wednesdays is getting the garbage out in time for the new, earlier pick-up time — 8:30 a.m.  Depending on which week it is, I try to get everything in the dumpster on Tuesday night so I just have to wheel it out in the morning.  Sometimes I even remember to place the car in the garage so I can get that pesky dumpster past it without backing out, repositioning, or whatever.   Putting the garbage out the night before is not an option, of course.  Bears!

Then, there’s every other Tuesday when we cross the river to Fred Meyer’s to pick up our grocery order.  That’s an adventure in and of itself — especially the unpacking part when we get home to find out what’s missing or what’s extra.  Yesterday, no Johnsonville brats and, instead of unsalted butter, it was salted.  And still no bread flour.

But we are well-stocked for the next two weeks, and therein lies the impact on this particular Wednesday morning.  By the time we put away all those groceries, re-packaging some things for the freezer, dealing with plastic bags (I thought those were outlawed in Oregon…) I had forgotten all about garbage day coming up.  Or was too tired to care.

And so it goes.  It all reminds me of that great book I used to read to kids:  The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown.  Each page followed a pattern in which the author told us what she thought was most important — never mind all the other characteristics — of a spoon or an apple or a shoe.  The kids often had their own ideas and didn’t always agree with Ms. Brown.

That would lead to the kids writing  their own “important books.”  One of my favorite (and, therefore, still memorable) pages was by a second grader who wrote:  “The important thing about me is that I am kind.  It is true that my name is Steve and that I am seven  and that I have two sisters.  But the important thing about me is that I am kind.”

The important thing about Thursday is…

3 Responses to “Another Wednesday… and so it goes.”

  1. Anne Kepner says:

    Thanks for helping me remember this very important book. One I used all the time with my journaling.

  2. sydney says:

    Glad it triggered some memories! How are you both? We miss you!
    Sydney

  3. Sally says:

    I too used this book with my kiddos. It was one of my favorites. Thanks for the reminder. Hmmm maybe we are just in the mist of our terrible, horrible no good very bad year!

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